Metropolitan Contemporary Paintings
Jan 29
by Cathy in 49 50 Challenge, Artist development 0 comments tags: architecture, cobwebs, Frosty, railings, watercolour and acrylic ink

49 50 Painting Challenge – Painting 2 Railings festooned with frost

In January 2018 I set about completing 50 paintings of Architectural Aspects by 31st December. The 49/50 Painting Challenge was born. Find out more. I’m sailing close to the wire on this one. As I write the painting is not finished. Not in itself a problem, as it’s a few hours until I need to post it. I’m just not sure it WILL be dry enough to finish today. I must leave it and hope… (Sometime later) The second week of the 49 50 Challenge has been harder to do than I thought. First thing this morning the painting was still not finished and needed a bit more work. More work means drying time. Time, something I didn’t have. Well, I managed it! By the skin of my teeth, here’s the finished painting, dry and cleaned up. The railings are from the Main Street in Tingewick. I was out walking on a frosty morning. The little row of railings, standing like soldiers, caught my eye when festooned with cobwebs, enhanced with frost. Although not perfect shapes, still beautiful in their icy decorations. No work in progress photographs this week. I had other things on my mind…like finishing in time. Would you […]
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Jan 22
by Cathy in Architecture, Artist development, Painting Challenges 0 comments tags: #4950Paintings, #PaintingChallenge, Architectural Aspects, architecture, Clock, new art

Introducing the 49 50 Paintings of Architectural Aspects Challenge!

What’s that? I hear you say. 49 50 what? Excited to reveal the first of my big plans for 2018. Don’t you just love that sense of the new that January brings? Inspired by my Artist friend Alexandra Buckle who did a 50 print challenge last year I’ve decided to embark or my own version of a 50 painting challenge. The aim is to complete 50 paintings by 31st December 2018. It’s going to be called 49 50 – Paintings of Architectural Aspects Or 49 50 Challenge for short. All the paintings will be 7″ x 7″ – I did think about working in cm but inches worked better as it gives me 49 square inches. Which helps with the title 49/50. I’m keeping them small so I can paint more frequently. Something I’m missing with the big pieces. They’re lovely to do but painting sessions are spaced out. I also plan on sharing them with you as they’re created and will share them on the blog after that. The focus will be Architectural details so I can use the advantages of the larger work but hone in on specifics. Planning this I wrote a list of all the details […]
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Feb 12
by Cathy in Artist development, photographs 0 comments tags: 3D, artwork, church, English village, landscape, photographs, railings, shapes in snow, snow, trees

Photography, Snow and the Creative Muse!

Do you love snow? Or hate it with a passion bordering on rage? Does a hit of the white stuff bring out your inner child or Demon!  Maybe snow’s causing you chaos? We Brits still aren’t prepared for any significant level of snowfall. Much to the surprise of continental Europe and America who marvel at our unpreparedness in the face of a mere few inches of the white stuff The truth is heavy snow is unusual for most of Brits, especially in the lowlands. ! Scratch that, any snow is unusual for us! Maybe it’s the novelty, but snow provides masses of inspiration when it comes. As an artist, my major issue with snow is how to depict it without slipping into the twee. And the association that snow = Christmas. Oops, slipped up there! Or did I throw you off with the green Holly Berries? There’s plenty of scope for interest with snowy pictures. The snow’s texture, the icicles, the way trees droop under the weight of it, light reflecting and sparkling off the snow, outlines smoothed beneath a unifying blanket. But how to create the image? One technique I employ is photography. With digital cameras much of the […]
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Feb 02
by Cathy in Abstracts, Artist development 0 comments tags: abstract paintings, Abstracts, Dome, Greenwich, London, Millennium Dome, O2, Painting, paintings, urban landscape

Architectural Abstract Paintings – Greenwich bound.

Did you know Abstract paintings are often based on reality? Most people see abstract paintings as a series of random marks, but if you spend any time looking you’ll realise many are more representational than you imagine.  You could argue that any form of painting is an abstract in that it has taken an object and made something of it that’s not the real thing. Depending in what you define as a “real thing”. A photograph might look like a building but you can’t live in it. So which is real?  They both exist in reality but you couldn’t pass the photograph off as a genuine building. Google’s definition of Abstract is “relating to or denoting art that does not attempt to represent external reality, but rather seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, colours, and textures.” That’s one of many definitions. The trouble is, there’s a very fluid line between reality and abstraction and it could fuel many hours of debate, which I don’t have time for here. Another time, perhaps. Personally I waver between the 2 ends of the spectrum. Abstracts allow you to play with rules and perceptions whereas the more representational angle paints what you see. […]
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Jan 24
by Cathy in Artist development 2 comments tags: architecture, buildings, Contemporary Art, Manchester, Manchester buildings, mixed media, New artwork, Piccadilly station

Abstract Painting – Journey Begins 2

What is an abstract Painting? What do you think of when you hear the word abstract? Does you conjour up images of Jackson Pollock,s drippy or Mark Rothko squares? Or do you imagine something closer to reality? Pablo Picaso’s cubism paintings perhaps? There’s no one size fits all with abstracts. You can have pictures that are just a little abstract. Based on reality, they look like something but they are still abstracts. There has been an attempt to use an existing object, scene or person to begin a process which has resulted in the painting. To splodges of paint, lines or blocks of colour. This is where I’ve settled, architectural abstracts. It suits me. One thing I’ve always found though. The best abstract paintings abide by a set of rules. It may be limiting the colour palette. Or dripping the paint or only using angular shapes. Barbara Hepworth’s sculptures applied the “Less is More” rule. There are many rules you can use. If you want abstracts to work, it’s not a case of just splashing colour on a canvas, throwing things together or carving as you fancy. So take your pick and make your choice. Spending time deciding what is […]
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Jan 17
by Cathy in Abstracts, Artist development 0 comments tags: churches, colours, oil pastel, semi abstract, tissue paper, window

Stupid things done in the name of art – Number 1

Do you have an obsession? You know what I mean, a “casual” mention causes you loved ones to groan because they expect you to talk for hours! Or they keep you away from certain shops because you’ll spend your life savings if not controlled? Like most artist’s, mine is art materials. I  managed to keep a lid on things by keeping to watercolour, pastel, oil and acrylic! That was fine…I had all I needed and just topped things up when they ran out! But then I started mixed media painting, and discovered so many more things I “needed”. Like the oil pastels for this one… Working with large canvases, struggling with a field easel for a year. using string to hold the legs together. I needed a studio easel. My limited budget was a problem, I wasn’t selling much work at the time. Visiting  London one day, I explored an Art shop near Trafalgar square. I was specifically looking for liquid acrylics, but also decided to check out easels. They had one and  I could afford it but they didn’t have the acrylics I needed. However, their Soho store did and was “just around the corner”. Which was true, or […]
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